Furnace.



Patented luly I0, |900. F. R'. SELLMAN.

F U R N A C E (Appncaeiun med DEJ, 2s, 1599.)

4 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Modl.)

n f .WM e? No. 653,533. Patented Julyl |o,- |900.

F. n. SELLMAN.

FuRNAcE.

' ('Aplicaeion filed nec. 23, 1899i) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2` w @D N 1 o) f w 'me Nonms Pneus co. nnoomwov, wAsnmaToN. b. c.

No, 653,533. Patenwi 1u|y lo, |900.

F. R. SELLMAN.

F U R N A C E .(Application filed Dec. 23, 1899.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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Patented July lo, |900. F. R. SELLMAN. l

'Fun'NAcE.

(Application led Dec. 23, 1699,)

4 Sheets-Sheet 4,

(No Model.)

/////////I///////l///////////l///// @me j?? Y 'NITEn STATESl PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK R. sELLMAN, or sT. Louis, MIs'soURi.'

Fju RN'ACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters-Patent NO. -653,533, datdid'uly 10, 1900.

Application led December 23, 1899. Serial No. 741,448. (No model.)

To all whom/,it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK R. SELL- MAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement" in Furnaces, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make yand use the same, ref= erence being had to theV accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in furnaces, being shown in the drawings as voperative in connection with' kilns; but I do not wish to Vconfine myself to the class of device with -which my improved furnace cooperates, as there are various uses to which the same may be put without in the least departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

- The objects of myinvention are to construct a furnace in a simple economical manner and to so arrange the 4several parts constituting the same that a great saving in fuel will result, the furnace at all'times maintaining the highest efficiency.

With these objects in View the invention consists in the provision of a firing-chamber into which the fuel to be burned is placed and in which firing-chamber said fuel is consumed by slow 'stages-that is, only sufficient oxygen is admitted to said chamber to maintain combustion in the lower portion thereof, the heat of the burning fuel Yin the lower portion of the chamber rising and decomposing or driving off the volatile products of combustion from the green fuel which is fed on top. This vgreen fuel by this operation is coked, so that when it gradually works its way toward the.bottom of the fire-chamber it reaches a point where the oxygen admitted to support combustion is suflicient to burn said coke, the green fuel being constantly introduced on top and in the upper portion of the fire-chamber to maintain the depth of the bed of fuel and giving out its volatile products of combustion asaloove stated. v In order to maintain the burning fuel, say, at a red heat, steamis generated in juxtaposition thereto, as will hereinafter be described.'

The Volatile products of combustion resulting from the decomposition of the gases in the green fuel pass from the fire-chamber vinto what I will term the mixing-chamber,

into which mixing-chamber is admitted hot air. The gases and hot air being thoroughly mixed by an appropriate device then pass into acombustion-chamber, which is shown in the drawings as being located in the upper portion of a kiln wherein combustion takes 6o place, the products of combustion passing downwardly through and around the articles to be annealed, burned, or otherwise treated in the kiln into and through a suitable passage-way leading to a stack or other-exit` or escape. v

Other features of invention consist in the construction, arrangement, and combination of theseveral parts, all as will hereinafter be described and afterward pointed out in the 7o claims. I attain these objects bythe mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a transverse vertical sectional View of my improved furnace. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the furnace, the same being indicated by the line 2 2 of Figs. l and 3. Fig. 3 is afront elevational view of the central portion of my improved 8o furnace, a portion of the walls, liooring, and ceiling of the pit below the surface of the ground being shown in section. Fig. 4 is a perspective View of a portion of my improved furnace and its ovens or kilns. Fig. 5 is a 85 horizontal sectionalview of a portion of my improved furnace, the same being taken ou the line 5 5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is aV detail perspective view of one of the end filings of the arched top of the oven or kiln which isem- 9o ployed in carrying out my-invention. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of one of the archsupporting tiles employed in'carryin'g out my invention. Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view vof one of the tiles upon which the arch-support-ing tile illustrated in Fig. 7 rests. Fig.

'9 is a detail perspective view of a -group of tiling which is utilized in carrying out myinvention, the same when' properly assembled in the furnace supplying the perforated Ioo arched covering for the furnace proper. Fig. 10 is in part a rear elevational view, on a reduced scale, of my improved furnace and in part a sectional view of the fines leading from said furnace. Fig. 11 is a horizontal sectional view, on a reduced scale, of my improved furnace, the same being taken on line 11 11 of Fig. 1. Fig. 12 isavertical sectional View, on a reduced scale, of my improved furnace, the same being taken on the line 12 12 of Fig. 1. Fig. 13 is a vertical sectional View, on a reduced scale, of my improved furnace, the same being taken on line 13 13 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 14 is a detail horizontal sectional view of a portion of my improved furnace, the same being taken on line 14 14. of Fig. 1.

Similarletters refer tosimilar parts throughout the several views.

-In the drawings, A indicates a tiring-chamber, into the upper portion of which leads a charging-opening a, closed by a door a', said tiring-chamber being preferably formed of suitable masonry, so that the walls thereof converge toward the lower portion, at which pointare arranged grate-bars B, suitably supported above an ash-pit C.

C represents a closure for the lower portion of the tiring-chamber, which in normal operation of the furnace is closed, so as to exclude the admission of air at this point through this opening, and through which access may be had to the ash-pit C.

The roof of the firing-chamber is preferably arched, as shown in Fig. 1, said roof consisting of oppositely-placed tiles D, (shown in detail in Fig. 9,) the lower bearing-face of said tiles being supported by the side walls of the tiring-chamber, while the inner upper edges are cut away, as at d, to form openings for the passage of the combustible gases from the firing-chamber, one wall (the inner) of said openings being formed by the keystone d', tted between said tiles, while another wall of said openings is formed by the side face of an adjacent tile. The back faces of tiles D are recessed or cutaway at one corner to form passages d", which open laterally at the backs and bottoms of the tiles and upwardly at the tops of said tiles, respectively, as shown more clearly in Fig. 1, which will hereinafter be more particularly referred to.

E indicates what I will term the commingling or mixing chamber, into the bottom of which the openings d lead, the side walls e of said mixing-chamber being supported on the tops of the tiles D and being formed of ordinary fire brick, preferably breaking joints with each other, so as to provide openings e' through said side walls, leading into the mixing-chamber E from a distributing-chamber F, extending practically over the entire back area of each of the walls e. Distributing-chamber F is formed by a solid back wall-f, supported upon a row of tiling G, arranged behind the tiles D. Tiles Gr are ,1'ecessed, as at g, coincident with the recesses d" and open at their lower ends into a supplyconduit H, extending practically the entire length of the row of recessed tiles G. The bottom wall of conduit H is provided with a series of openings h, so distributed that the combined areas of said openings equal the total area or available outlet afforded by the passages g d.

i indicates a closure, preferably in the form of a damper-door, whereby the openings for the admission of air therethrough may be regulated, said air entering a conduit or intake-passage I and passing rearwardly and upwardly into a forwardly-extending conduit or passage I', which is a general source of supply for the conduit H through the medium of the openings h, before referred to. The door controls the intake of air to support combustion, said air passing rearwardly through passage I, which, as shown in Fig. 1, is located between the side wall of the tire-chamber and is separated from the escape-conduit for the products of combustion by a thin wall, as will hereinafter be described, so that as said air passes rearwardly through said passage I it is heated, and in passing at the rear end of said passage into the forwardly-extendin g passage I', located immediately thereabove, and also between a conduit for the passage of the products of combustion and the wall of the firechamber said air is f urtherheated. The openings h, which establish communication between the conduit I and the chamber H, arc such that after the air is heated in the conduits I and I' it is forced to distribute itself throughout the entire passage I before it is admitted into the passage H, (the opening h being small enough to prevent unequal admission of hot air into the chamber H,) and from said chamber H the heated air passes into and through the passages g d to the general distributingchamber F and thence into the mixing-chamber through the openings e. In this manner the air to support combustion is heated before it enters the mixing-chamber, and being admitted to the mixing-chamber at various points is readily susceptible of thorough commingling and mixture with the heated gases ascending through the various openings d.

In order to more thoroughly mix the air and combustible gases in the mixing-chamber E as they pass out of said mixing-chamber, I arrange a series of tiles J above the Walls c, which tiles are provided with inwardly-extending semipyra-midal-shaped projectionsj, as shown in Fig. 8, so that as the air and gases pass upwardly in escaping from said mixingchamber they are laterally displaced to the extent that the inclined de fleeting-faces of the projections] force said air and gases to take other than a straight passage out of the top of said mixing-chamber. These tiles J support tiles J', whose construction is best shown in Figs. 5 and 7, said tiles J having inwardlyextending tapered projections j' in vertical alinement with the projectionsj. The upper faces of these projectionsjl support a lintel K, above which is arranged suitable masonrywork 71:. The body portions of tiles J extend upward to the top of the masonry c. The upper outer faces ofthe tiles J' are preferablyinclined, and the side faces thereof are formed i IIO with ri'bs Jwhich inclined faces and ribs support tiles L, Whose construction is best shown in Fig. 6, said tiles L by reason of their in clined faces forming one of the lateral supports for the arched roof M of the kiln or oven. The inner faces of the tiles L are vertical and form shouldered seats to `cooperate with the tiles J and also continue the guideway formed by the rib J2 and the shoulder of the tapered projection j, in which guideways so formed are fitted dampers N. (See Figs. l, 2, 4, and 5.) These dampers are preferably connected by a barO, to which are attached cords o, passing over sheaves or pulleys mounted on a suitable framework, said dampers beingcounterbalanced by a Weight 0. (See Figs. 2.and 3.)

Pindicates the combustion-chamber,which may be, as disclosed in this application,a kiln or oven into which the mixed air and gases from the conimingling-chamberE are admitted when the dampers N are raised, as shown in Fig. l.

The floor of the combustion-chamber consists of suitable tiling p, with spaces between them, which are supported by masonry-work q, forming parallel passages Q, leading inwardly to an escape-passage R, Which is com-j mon to all of said passages Q. The openings of the passages Q into the passage R are restricted, as at r, (see Figs. 11, l2, and 14,) for the purpose of forcinga general distribution ofthe escape of the products of combustion from the oven or combustion-chamber. The passage R at its forward end opens downwardly into a passage R', which passage R extends rearwardly and upwardly into ageneral escape-Hue S, which connects with a stack or leads into the eye of an exhaust-fan, as is common. Suitable dampers s control the escape of the products of combustion from the passage R into the general escape-flue S.

, In starting a fire in the furnace or if for any reason it is undesirable to have the mixed air and combustible gases enter the combustion-chamberl provide an escape-tine T, leading from the back of the mixing-chamber E land into the general escape-flue S, the samebeing controlled by a damper t, (see Fig. 2,) whose open or closed posit-ion renders flue 'l operative or inoperative, as desired.

.In order to support the slow combustion of the bed of fuel in the lower portion of the firing-chamber, I arrange a flue U, preferably beneath the forward end of the passage R', the volume of air taken through said flue being controlled by a suitable damper u, arranged in the'front end thereof. (See Figs. 3, 1l, and 12.) The rear end of flue U connects with the forwardly-extending flue U', arranged, preferably, beneath the passage I, (see Fig. 1,) whose forward end entersthe firing-chamber at u. (See-Figs. 2 and ll.)

o `indicates a supply-pipe through which water is introduced, so as to drip onto apan V, arranged in the open space in front of thel firing-chamber for the purpose of generating vper portion of the deep bed of fuel.

as peep-holes. l to close these openings.

steam and moistening or dampening the up-` Any overflow from this pan V is caught by a larger pan V', arranged therebeneath, and in which steam is likewise generated for the same purpose. The overiiow from pan V is caught in the metallic ash-box C and conducted oft' through any suitable pipe.

w indicates rest-bars, arranged, preferably, in front of the pans Vaud V', for supporting a poker or other like instrument which may be introduced to rake down the fuel in the firing-chamber or clear the grate-bars of accumulated ashes.

Wherever desired, openings are made in line with the several lues, conduits, or passages, through which may be introduced cleaning devices, said openings serving also Suitable plugs are employed In the construction shown in the accompanying drawings the deep bed of fuel is maintained in the firing-chamber, andV slow combustion in the lower portion thereof is carried on by the admission of a small quantity of air through the passages U U. YThe conditions under which fuel is consumed in this firing-chamber are the saine asl obtains with respect to the ordinary furnaces, with this exception, however, that by reason of the deep bed of fuel combustion is carriedfonmuch slower,'and consequently is more thorough. The green fuel introduced'on top of the bed is heated so that it gives up its volatile products, and as it gradually descends it becomes coked and partially incandescent, working its Way down toa point Where it is near the volume of oxygen admitted to support combustion, when it is finally and thoroughly consumed, leaving but a small quantity of mineral ash. The converging walls of the firing-chamber serve to concentrate the partially-incandescent fuel, so that a small surface area of grate is necessary. The volatile products, in the form of combustible gases, free carbon, dac., rise into the mixingchamber and are thoroughly commingled with the heated air entering through the intakepassages I I', &c. but by reason of being confined in such a small space as is afforded by the mixingchamber complete combustion does not take place until the productsof the mixing-chamber pass into the combustion chamber or chambers, shown in the drawings as kilns or ovens. The lintel and'arched IIO roofs of the combustion-chambers form practhoroughly heated before it enters the mixing-chamber. The temperature of the escapeflues R and R' being very high, the heat will radiate through the brickwork separating the intake and escape ues and be absorbed by the incoming air, so as to raise the temperature of said incoming air preferably above 800 Fahrenheit, or between 800 and 1,200o Fahrenheit. IVhen air heated to this temperature is admitted to the mixing-chamber, it is in condition forimmediate combustion when thrown in contact with the combustible gases, so that when the heated air and combustible gases pass from the mixingchamber into the combustion-chamber they are in a burning state, the large combustionchamber giving room for expansion during combustion, so that complete combustion results. Retorts, muiies, or other things to be heated in the combustion-chambers are arranged on the perforated oors with suitable spaces between or around them and are only built up as high as the wall f, so as to leave ample space under the roof of the oven and above said articles for combustion. The products of combustion pass downwardly through the perforated floor of the oven and into passages Q, R, and R and out through the general escape-fine S. Vhile in passages R R these products of combustion serve to heatthe air in the intake-passages I I' and U U Where a plurality of combustion-chambers are employed in connection with a single furnace, the dampers N are used to advantage, in that the several chambers may be fired alternately without necessitating cessation of the operation of the furnace.

I have found in actual practice that pottery and other articles of similar nature can be burned, annealed, or tempered in the combustion-chambers, such as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, without being discolored or affected in any way by the products of combustion, for the reason that complete combustion occurring in the spaces at the top of the chamber there are no free particles of carbon or discoloring--gases in the products of combustion-that is, no such gases as would discolor ordinary articles of commerce such as are usually burned or annealed in ovens.

It will be obvious that by the manipulation of various dampers and damper-plates used in my improved furnace the available areas for the intake of air, the escape of products of combustion, the., can be regulated or controlled in such manner as may be demanded by varying conditions, such as the use of different kinds of coal, dac.; also, that the amount of water to be vaporized in the pans V and V' can be regulated at will. I will also state that in ordinary practice a bed of fuel to the depth of about five feet or more is maintained in the iring-chamberand that the door C is closed all the time, with the exception of occasions when the ashes from the ash-pit are removed-about once every twenty-four hours-or at such other times as it is desired to rake down the ashes from the grate-bars.

I am aware that minor changes in the arrangement, construction, and combination of several parts of my device can be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without in the least departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

I do not claim the details of construction of my improved furnace in this present application, as the same forms the subject-matter of a divisional application led May 15, 1900, serially numbered 16,781; but

IVhat I do claim is;-

1. The combination with a firing-chamber in which combustion of the fuel takes place slowly, of a mixing-chamber for receiving the combustible gases resulting from the decomposition of fuel in said firing-chamber, passages for admitting heated air to the mixingchamber, and a combustionchamber into which the heated air and combustible gases are directed in the burning state from the mixing-chamber; substantially as described.

2. The combination with a firing-chamber, for driving off volatile gases from the fuel, of a mixing-chamber for receiving said gases, intake-lilies for supplying heated air to the mixing-chamber, a combustion-chamber into which the heated air and gases are discharged from the mixing-chamber, and an escape-fine for the products of combustion from the combustion-chamber, said escape-Hue being arranged in juxtaposition to the intake-Hue for the air supplied to the mixing-chamber; substantially as described.

3. The combination with a firing-chamber for containing a deep bed of fuel, of means for regulating and controlling the admission of air to support slow combustion therein, a mixing-chamber for receiving the products of combustion from the firing-chamber, and also the combustible gases resulting from the decomposition of fuel in said tiring-chamber, intake-fines for supplying heated air to the mixing-chamber, and a combustion-chamber for receiving the commingled air and gases from the mixing-chamber, which commingled air and gases are admitted to said combustionchamber in a burning state at or near the top thereof; substantially as described.

4. The combination with a firing-chamber for containing a deep bed of fuel, of means for regulating and controlling the admission of air to support slow combustion therein, a mixing-chamber for receiving the products of combustion from the firing-chamber, and also the combustible gases resulting from the decomposition of fuel in said tiring-chamber, intake-lines for supplying heated air to the mixing-chamber, a combustion-chamber for receiving the commingled air and gases from the mixing-chamber, which commingled air and gases are admitted to said combustionchamber in a burning state at or near the top thereof, and escape-fines for the products of combustion leading from the lower portion of IOC) IIO

said combustion-chamber and alongside of the intake-hues; substantially as described.

5. The combination with a firing-chamber Whose Walls converge toward the bottom, said firing-chamber containing a deep bed of fuel, of means for controlling the supply of air to the lower portion of said firing-chamber for supporting slon7 combustion of the fuel therein, steaming-pans arranged in said firingchamber, a mixing-chamber for receiving the volatile gases resulting from the decomposition of the green fuel in the firing-chamber, intake-fines for supplying heated air to the mixing-chamber, and a combustion-chamber connected to said mixing-chamber for receiving the air and gases therefrom in a burning state; substantially as described.

6. The combination with-a firing-chamber for containing a deep bed of fuel, of means for supplying air thereto to support slow coml bustion of thefuel therein, a mixing-chamber arranged above the firing-chamber. for receiving the combustible gases from said irin gchamber, combustion-chambers arranged on each side of the mixing-chamber, dampers between said mixing-chamber and said combustion-chambers, escape-flues for the products of combustion leading from the combustion-chambers, and intake-fines arranged intermediate said escape-fines and firing-chamber and intermediate said combustion-chamber and said mixing-chamber, for admitting heated air to said mixing-chamber; substantially as described.

7. The combination with a furnace, of a miXing-chamberforreceivinggasesgenerated in the furnace, means forsupplying said mixing-chamber with heated air, a combustion'- chamber into the upper portion of which said mixing-chamber discharges its products, a perforated iioor for said combustion-chamber, parallel flues arranged under said lioor, escape-dues R and R for conducting oi the products of combustion, a flue S, and a damper between iue S and iiue R; substantially as described.

8. The combination with a furnace, of a mixing-chamber, a combustion-chamber, es cape-dues leading from saidv combustion= chamber, an escape-flue leading from said mixingchamber,and dam pers for said escape `Hue; substantially as described.

9. The combination with a furnace, of a mixing-chamber, combustion-chambers ar= ranged on each side of said mixing-chamber, separate escape-fines leading from said ovens, an escape-fine leading from said mixing-chamber, all of said escape-fines discharging into an escape iiue or conduit, and dampers for the separate escape-fines; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I-hereuuto ax my signature, in the presence of two Witnesses, this 18th day of December, 1899.

FREDERICK R. SELLMAN.

Witnesses:

WM. H. SCOTT, A.AS. GRAY. 

